The conservation movement has prompted a switch from paper shopping bags to bags made of plastic. Plastic shopping bags normally have a pair of cut-out holes which form a pair of loop handles. These handles are made of very thin material which cuts into one's fingers--particularly when the bag is full of heavy items. This problem is exacerbated when one tries to carry many full bags in one hand.
Furthermore, if one puts down a two-handled plastic bag, the handles separate and the contents are liable to spill. This problem, too, is multiplied when one is carrying more than one bag. To re-grip the handles of one or more bags which have separated in this way is both annoying and time-consuming.
Prior developments in this field may be generally illustrated by reference to the following patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee Issue Date ______________________________________ 3,257,054 J. Miesel Jun. 21, 1966 4,529,240 A. Engel Jul. 16, 1985 2,819,923 D. Anderson Jan. 14, 1958 3,119,160 W. Hoppeler Jan. 28, 1964 3,636,594 B. Faivre Jan. 25, 1972 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,054 teaches a carrier that has a cable with a key-like structure 142 on one end that fits into a slot in a clamp 113 to form a carrying loop. The other end of the cable, however, is free to slide in its bore 124, so the size of the loop 158 is not fixed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,240 teaches a key and slot sleeve 11 that forms a loop for a carrying device used in the transport of deer. A handle 27 is required, which handle is separate from the sleeve 11.
The rest of the patents are representative of what is in the art.